Friday, May 8, 2009

Cupcakes

I always used to think that I was a little crazy for having such a massive love and appreciation for cupcakes, but now that I'm more of a blog reader, I can see that I'm certainly not the only one! It's strangely comforting to see so many others dedicated to this beautiful and whimsical tiny confection!

What are your favorite cupcake recipes and decorating tips? I would love to know!

No, you are definitely not alone in your cupcake admiration. My daughter and I had a fun time making Spring cupcakes with a little coconut dyed green with food coloring for grass and gummy candy perched on toothpicks so they looked like flowers. And don't forget how one must eat a cupcake, remove the bottom and stack in on top so the frosting is in the middle when you take a bite! :)

I love cupcakes. My daughters and I are always making up new recipes. We have made cupcakes with oreo clouds that have gummy bears on them (think Care Bears). A friend just found me ice cream cone cupcake baking dishes that we are dying to try out. Might have to bake some red velvet cupcakes in them next week!

hi it's chinamommy from etsy... i hate to tell you (well, not really) but you can't eat my cupcakes! They are little pieces of mixed media art- cute (if i do say so myself) but not edible, sorry! Check them out anyway :) & you can see them on my blog:

Hi, I'm collectionobsession from Etsy. Thanks for the invite! Great blog idea. I love cupcakes, but use a mix. I do bake a 25 degrees less than called for and little longer. They are even moister this way. I just bought a Wilton filling tip and am looking for good filling ideas.

So I'm lactose intolerant or lactartded as a friend of mine says. I do love cupcakes though! So I found a really great recipe for vegan Boston Cream Pie...the cake part is awesome! And here it is. Give it a try. I've been told by milk consumers that these guys are amazing. Let me know what you think. Oh and the frosting recipe is based on Sprinkles Cupcakes cream cheese frosting. It's good enough for frosting shots!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl add sugar and oil and mix well. I like to do this by hand with a wisk. Next add yogurt and vanilla and mix well. Finally add in the soy milk and again mix well.

Gradually add in the flour mixture about 1/3 C at a time making sure it’s not lumpy. Continue adding in the flour mixture until it’s all included. Make sure the batter is well mixed. There should be no lumps.

Prepare the cupcake pan with paper liners. This recipe yields over 12 cupcakes so I like to make a small extra cake on the side. That way if I have to give away the cupcakes I still have a bit of cake for myself. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. I have found 28 minutes to be perfect in my oven but some oven temperatures vary so always test for doneness with a toothpick or small knife. It should come out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Allow the margarine and cream cheese to soften to room temperature. Mix with hand electric mixer to a smooth consistency. Gradually add the powdered sugar a cup a time. Mix thoroughly but try not to over mix. Chill before frosting the cupcakes.